I know: It's definitely not price gouging (insult away, BTW)

[alleyallen]

OK, gouging or not, it still doesn't address the problem, and that is it's getting too expensive to fill up. Not every one of us drives a gas-hog SUV. Some of us have reasonably fuel-efficient cars and don't drive wastefully or take unnecessary trips. I really don't use my car except to drive to and from work and to the store and back, with occasional trips to the city pool.

But public transportation isn't an option in our city (too small for that, too big to walk everywhere), I don't have the ability to develop my own electric car and there's little to nothing I personally can do to lower gas prices.

So while all of you argue the free-market system and supply and demand, I'm over here shelling out big bucks I can ill afford to spend to get to my job and see my son.

Let's keep our focus, shall we?

OK.

Let's say someone drives 15,000 miles a year in a car that averages 20 miles per gallon. In my area, right now the average gas price is $3.05 per gallon. At that price it would cost $2,287.50 for a year's worth of gas. A year ago gas was $2.48 per gallon. That's $1,860 per year. A difference of $427.50 per year, or a bit more than an dollar a day.

Good math example. Problem is, gas ISN'T $2.48 a gallon. And until it is, all my efforts at trying to economize go for naught while everyone else debates free-market economies. Like that actually helps.

I was just trying to point out that, despite price increases, the actual pocketbook impact is pretty minor.

Also, debating free-market economies is about as much help as what most people are doing about the problem -- complaining. As consumers, we have no control over what gas costs. We have control over how much we purchase.

Says you! When you add up "market" increases in everything -- electricity, food, gas, water, cable/Internet, insurance -- and couple that with pay increases that don't keep up with the rising cost of living (so much for that "booming" economy), you're looking at a damn big impact on your pocketbook.
Gas prices aren't the only reason to complain, and if you think I limit my complaints to that, think again. But it's still a problem and one I am powerless to fix.

 

[Columbo]

What is Exxon's profit margin?

If it was 10 percent before the price of oil started going through the roof and it's the same today, then I don't see what the problem is.

If the profit margin is a lot higher, then the red flags can be raised.

They might be making a lot more money, but they also might be spending a lot more money to make it.

The profit margin is leaps and bounds higher.

What is it, then?

Well, we have a slight, incremental increase in cars on the road. About the same amount of gas is being sold here over same time last year.

Yet pure profit went from $1.20 a share in Q2/2005 to $1.72 a share in Q2/2006.

Just a hunch, but there are probably a lot more variables than that.

That's the essence of it.

So you're arguing production costs are static?

No, I'm arguing that they made 43.33 percent MORE pure profit this quarter this year than last.

Yes, the price per barrel is as high as ever....

But that is worked into the profit equation.

And, still, it says $1.72 per share.

 

[BTExpress]

Minimizing the impact of $1.20 a day coming out of your bank account is a little perilous.

It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

Twenty years ago, I was making $71 a day (spread over 365 days) and spent 3.2% of my income on gasoline.

Today I'm making $187 a day and am spending about 4.2% of my income on gasoline. And it would be an even smaller percentage if I decided to drive a more fuel-efficient car.

As long as your wages are going up and you have the ability to drive a fuel-efficient car, the oil situation shouldn't be anything more than just a pain in the butt.

 

[Columbo]

Minimizing the impact of $1.20 a day coming out of your bank account is a little perilous.

It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

Twenty years ago, I was making $71 a day (spread over 365 days) and spent 3.2% of my income on gasoline.

Today I'm making $187 a day and am spending about 4.2% of my income on gasoline. And it would be an even smaller percentage if I decided to drive a more fuel-efficient car.

As long as your wages are going up and you have the ability to drive a fuel-efficient car, the oil situation shouldn't be anything more than just a pain in the butt.

$829 a year on gas back in 1986.

You walk to work?

 

[alleyallen]

Minimizing the impact of $1.20 a day coming out of your bank account is a little perilous.

It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

Twenty years ago, I was making $71 a day (spread over 365 days) and spent 3.2% of my income on gasoline.

Today I'm making $187 a day and am spending about 4.2% of my income on gasoline. And it would be an even smaller percentage if I decided to drive a more fuel-efficient car.

As long as your wages are going up and you have the ability to drive a fuel-efficient car, the oil situation shouldn't be anything more than just a pain in the butt.

Again, I say gas prices are just one part of the equation. But if we can't fix gas prices, there's little hope for fixing the other money-robbing parts of society.

 

[Pastor]

BT, while that may be the case, you are only viewing the direct impact imposed by the rise in gas prices. You left out the increased price of milk and other groceries. You have left off the increase in the price of airline flights.

So, sure, your dollar per day increased 100% while your direct fuel consumption went up 1%. What about the other expenses.

Additionally, you are looking at this over a 20-year timespan. Not everyone has been working over that period of time. If you look at the last five years, you will see that individuals that entered the workforce have not had that 100:1 ratio you have over the extended period.

 

[Columbo]

BT, while that may be the case, you are only viewing the direct impact imposed by the rise in gas prices. You left out the increased price of milk and other groceries. You have left off the increase in the price of airline flights.

So, sure, your dollar per day increased 100% while your direct fuel consumption went up 1%. What about the other expenses.

Additionally, you are looking at this over a 20-year timespan. Not everyone has been working over that period of time. If you look at the last five years, you will see that individuals that entered the workforce have not had that 100:1 ratio you have over the extended period.

It's like an economic boa constrictor.

 

[BTExpress]

Gasoline dropped below $1 a gallon in South Florida in 1986. Probably averaged a little over $1 over the course of the year.

Heck, it was only $1.59 a gallon 15 years later. That's what it was on 9/11. For some reason I'll always remember that.

Additionally, you are looking at this over a 20-year timespan. Not everyone has been working over that period of time. If you look at the last five years, you will see that individuals that entered the workforce have not had that 100:1 ratio you have over the extended period.

You're right. Like most things, it's relative.

But that doesn't necessarily mean things are out of whack now. Just out of whack COMPARED to 5 years ago when gas was historically (adjusted for inflation) very very cheap.

Look at interest rates. People are chewing their nails now at mortgage rates that are nearing 7%.

7% is CHEAP AS heck when compared with the period 1974-2006.

It just doesn't seem cheap when compared with the period 2003-2006.

 

[Columbo]

Gasoline dropped below $1 a gallon in South Florida in 1986. Probably averaged a little over $1 over the course of the year.

Heck, it was only $1.59 a gallon 15 years later. That's what it was on 9/11. For some reason I'll always remember that.

Additionally, you are looking at this over a 20-year timespan. Not everyone has been working over that period of time. If you look at the last five years, you will see that individuals that entered the workforce have not had that 100:1 ratio you have over the extended period.

You're right. Like most things, it's relative.

But that doesn't necessarily mean things are out of whack now. Just out of whack COMPARED to 3 years ago when gas was historically (adjusted for inflation) very very cheap.

Look at interest rates. People are chewing their nails now at mortgage rates that are nearing 7%.

7% is CHEAP AS heck when compared with the period 1974-2006.

It just doesn't seem cheap when compared with the period 2003-2006.

And it ain't cheap when you are under an adjustable-rate mortgage in a massively contracting housing market.

There are gonna be suicides in SoFla within a year or two... in somewhat noticeable numbers, I think.

 

[MacDaddy]

Minimizing the impact of $1.20 a day coming out of your bank account is a little perilous.

It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

Twenty years ago, I was making $71 a day (spread over 365 days) and spent 3.2% of my income on gasoline.

Today I'm making $187 a day and am spending about 4.2% of my income on gasoline. And it would be an even smaller percentage if I decided to drive a more fuel-efficient car.

As long as your wages are going up and you have the ability to drive a fuel-efficient car, the oil situation shouldn't be anything more than just a pain in the butt.

$829 a year on gas back in 1986.

You walk to work?

Gas averaged $0.93 per gallon in 1986 nationally; $829 would buy approximately 891 gallons of gas. In a car getting 20 miles per gallon that much gas would get you nearly 17,000 miles.

 

[Columbo]

Minimizing the impact of $1.20 a day coming out of your bank account is a little perilous.

It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

Twenty years ago, I was making $71 a day (spread over 365 days) and spent 3.2% of my income on gasoline.

Today I'm making $187 a day and am spending about 4.2% of my income on gasoline. And it would be an even smaller percentage if I decided to drive a more fuel-efficient car.

As long as your wages are going up and you have the ability to drive a fuel-efficient car, the oil situation shouldn't be anything more than just a pain in the butt.

$829 a year on gas back in 1986.

You walk to work?

Gas averaged $0.93 per gallon in 1986 nationally; $829 would buy approximately 891 gallons of gas. In a car getting 20 miles per gallon that much gas would get you nearly 17,000 miles.

It was 93 cents a gallon 20 yeasrs ago.

forking dust me off, someone. Anyone.

 

[alleyallen]

The economy is all relative, based on 20-year time spans? Oh thank God. That means I can shortchange my mortgage payment and tell them it's because of percentage changes over the last 20 years.

I know things change over time, but what things were like 5 years ago makes little impact on me now. Five years ago I was just getting married for the second time, had just starting paying on a new car, I had no son and no mortgage, and I still worked in newspapers.

And right now, gas prices are too f-ing high. Debate all that other crap if you want, but the prices are still too high.

And where the heck is my $10 I asked for several pages ago?